As of Thursday, the number of active COVID-19 cases in Tamil Nadu is 5195. Express Photo: Srinivas KTamil Nadu Telangana Assembly Elections COVID-19 January 22 Highlights: Tamil Nadu recorded 596 positive cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, bringing the state tally to 8,33,011. Among these, Chennai reported 166 positive cases, bringing the city’s total to 2,29,705. The state recorded nine deaths on Thursday, putting the state toll at 12,299. All nine of them had succumbed due to comorbidities. The state discharged 705 patients following treatment, putting the total number of recoveries at 8,15,516.
A total of 659 passengers had travelled to Tamil Nadu from UK between January 8 and January 21, of which 531 have been tested. Among these, two have tested positive, 509 have tested negative and the results of 20 passengers are awaited. Tracing of further passengers is underway.
The AIADMK government will build concrete houses for all homeless farmers, labourers and the poor if it returns to power in the upcoming elections, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami announced on Thursday during a roadshow in northern Tamil Nadu.
“Farmers, labourers and poor people who are homeless in rural areas will get concrete houses, it is our key promise. Our farmers and working class population should be living with dignity. From rural areas to cities, all those who are homeless will get concrete houses,” he said.
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Cash-strapped Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC), facing continued losses on account of rising diesel prices and the pandemic-induced lockdown, sought financial assistance from the government to offload the burden.
On Thursday, RTC authorities informed Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao that unless the government extended major financial assistance to the Corporation and ticket fares were increased, the financial burden on it cannot be reduced. According to them, if the salaries of employees and staff are increased, that would further add to the financial burden on the Corporation. They expressed their concerns during a review meeting held by the CM.
“Last time when the ticket prices were increased the diesel price was Rs 67 per litre. But within a short time, the diesel price increased by Rs 15 per litre. This had a very adverse impact on TSRTC and increased the financial burden. The TSRTC incurred losses due to the lockdown imposed due to the Coronavirus pandemic,” they said, adding that there is an existing burden of dues as well.
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Nine people have been confirmed dead in a road accident in Telangana, after two more succumbed while undergoing treatment, police said on Friday. "Two more women died while undergoing treatment and 11 others are being treated inhospital," a police official said.
Police had said that six women farm workers were among seven people killed and over 10 injured when a jam-packed autorickshaw and a container truck collided head-on on a highway in the district on Thursday.
The official further said the truck driver who is now in custody was found to be in an inebriated condition when the incident happened. The other deceased was the driver of the bigger sized auto which was carrying 20 people.
The truck hit the auto while trying to overtake another vehicleresulting in a head-on collision. (PTI)
The Tamil Nadu government on Friday announced that cultural programmes of school and college students will not be part of the Republic Day celebrations in Chennai this year in view of the coronavirus pandemic.
Appealing to people, students and the elderly to avoid visiting the Marina beachfront to witness the event on January 26, the government said this was aimed at preventing gathering of a large number of people.
This year, "the cultural programmes of school and college students is avoided and district collectors have been advised to visit the freedom fighters and honour them with shawls," an official release said.
Arrangements have been made to broadcast the event on radio and television channels and Governor Banwarilal Purohit would unfurl the national flag at 8 am on January 26, the government said. The Raj Bhavan had said on Thursday that the customary "At Home" reception would not be hosted by Purohit this year in view of the coronavirus pandemic. (PTI)
Telangana government has decided to implement a 10 per cent reservation to the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) in the state, the office of chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao announced Thursday. It has decided to hold a high-level meeting in this regard in a couple of days, following which appropriate orders will be issued.
The announcement comes two years after the Centre had announced a 10 per cent reservation to EWS in government educational institutions and jobs. The CM’s office said it felt now there was the need to implement the reservation. Telangana has in force 50 per cent reservation for SCs, STs, BCs, and Muslims under BC category in government jobs and educational institutions.
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The Centre on Thursday informed the Supreme Court that Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit will take a decision on the release of seven convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case within three to four days. This comes after a prolonged legal battle by one of the convicts, A G Perarivalan, who had moved the apex court seeking release from the jail.
As per the submission before the SC today, the much-awaited decision on the release of the Rajiv Gandhi case convicts will be announced from Tamil Nadu Raj Bhawan by Monday.
It may be one such case where the larger conspiracy angles are being probed in 2021 in an assassination case of 1991, while the CBI had submitted its chargesheet and the highest court had handed out punishments by 1999 itself.
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Telangana recorded 214 fresh COVID-19 cases on Thursday, taking the total positives to nearly 2.93 lakh while two fatalities pushed the toll to 1,586, the state government said on Friday.
Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) accounted for the most number of cases with 38, followed by Karimnagar, Rangareddy and Medchal Malkajgiri with 14 each, it said in a bulletin.
The total number of cases stood at 2,92,835 while recoveries were at 2, 87,468. As many as 3,781 patients are under treatment and 28,791 samples were tested on Thursday. Cumulatively, over 76 lakh samples have been tested. The samples tested per million population was over 2.04 lakh, the bulletin said.
The case fatality rate in the state was 0.54 per cent while the recovery rate in Telangana was 98.16 per cent. (PTI)
The AIADMK government will build concrete houses for all homeless farmers, labourers and the poor if it returns to power in the upcoming elections, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami announced on Thursday during a roadshow in northern Tamil Nadu.
Addressing party cadres at Cheyyar near Chengalpet, he also said that his government is in the process of collecting data about crop damage in the recent heavy rainfall and promised that relief will be given to the farmers soon after the process is completed.
“Farmers, labourers and poor people who are homeless in rural areas will get concrete houses, it is our key promise. Our farmers and working class population should be living with dignity. From rural areas to cities, all those who are homeless will get concrete houses,” he said.
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The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) conducted 345 fever clinics in Chennai on Thursday. A total of 18,994 people attended the clinics, with swabs collected from 149 people who were identified with ILI symptoms, while others were provided with medication for minor ailments.
The most number of camps were held in Anna Nagar (Zone 8) where 45 camps had been set up, while Manali (Zone 2) had the least with four camps.
A call on the Tamil Nadu government’s recommendation to pardon Rajiv Gandhi assassination convict A G Perarivalan will be taken by the Governor within three-four days, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the Supreme Court Thursday.
Mehta told a bench of Justices L Nageswara Rao, S Abdul Nazeer and Indu Malhotra, hearing a plea by Perarivalan seeking release, that he had received an instruction to communicate that Governor Banwarilal Purohit will decide the matter “as per the Constitution” in a couple of days. Recording the submission, the bench adjourned the matter by four weeks.
In his plea, Perarivalan had said the Governor was yet to take a call on a recommendation by the state government on September 9, 2018, to grant him remission and release him forthwith. Hearing the matter in November last year, the Supreme Court had made clear its unhappiness over the pendency of the request for over two years.
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Tamil Nadu Health Minister Dr. C Vijayabaskar received his Covain shot in Chennai today. Earlier today, the minister had tweeted that he would be receiving his shot at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital at 9 am.
The minister had tweeted that as a doctor and a member of the IMA, he would be taking the shot to instill confidence among healthcare workers.
V K Sasikala, the close aide of late J Jayalalithaa, tested positive for the Covid-19 on Thursday night. Ahead of her release from the Bangalore Parappana Agrahara Central prison on January 27, where she was a convict in a disproportionate assets case, Sasikala was taken to Bowring Hospital Wednesday after she complained of breathlessness.
Following her family’s request, she was shifted to Victoria Hospital on Thursday. She was being treated in the ICU for Severe Acute Respiratory Infection.
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Tangedco has announced a powercut in parts of Chennai today from 9 am to 2 pm to carry out maintenance work.
Here are the affected areas:
A total of 256 flights will be operated between Chennai and major cities today, with 128 arrivals and 128 departures scheduled at the Chennai International Airport.
The alliance between the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) and the ruling AIADMK in Tamil Nadu seems to have hit a rough patch, and with the approaching Assembly elections, its ripples are being felt in the Opposition camp too.
PMK has been sending signals that they might look for other alliance partners, as the Edappadi Palaniswami-led government is unlikely to fulfil their demand of 20 per cent reservation for the Vanniyar community in government jobs and higher education.
Dr Ramadoss, the founder of the PMK, is firm on his reservation demand. But with AIADMK showing no sign of giving in, the party had been knocking at the doorsteps of the state’s main opposition, DMK.
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A total of 26 passengers who had returned to Tamil Nadu from UK and 20 of their primary contacts have tested positive for COVID-19 till date. Among the 26 primary cases, 23 of them who tested negative in their follow up RT-PCR test have been discharged and kept under home quarantine. Similarly, 19 of the 20 contact cases have been discharged and kept under home quarantine.
Among the 26 primary cases, nine cases were reported in Chennai, three each in Thanjavur, Madurai, Nilgiris and Chengalpattu and one each in Theni, Nagapattinam, Coimbatore, Karur and Virudhunagar. Among the 20 contact cases, six were reported in Chennai, three in Thanjavur, two each in Nilgiris and Theni, four in Chengalpattu and three in Nagapattinam.
A total of 2300 passengers had travelled to Tamil Nadu from UK between November 25 and December 23, of which 2146 have been tested. Among these, 24 have tested positive, 2122 have tested negative and the tracing of more passengers is underway. Additionally, 3977 close contacts of the 2122 passengers who had tested negative were also tested for COVID-19 and were found to be negative.
A total of 659 passengers had travelled to Tamil Nadu from UK between January 8 and January 21, of which 531 have been tested. Among these, two have tested positive, 509 have tested negative and the results of 20 passengers are awaited. Tracing of further passengers is underway.
All the UK returnees and their contacts have been kept in isolation wards, according to the Tamil Nadu Health Department.
Tamil Nadu recorded 596 positive cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, bringing the state tally to 8,33,011. Among these, Chennai reported 166 positive cases, bringing the city’s total to 2,29,705.
The state recorded nine deaths on Thursday, putting the state toll at 12,299. All nine of them had succumbed due to comorbidities. The state discharged 705 patients following treatment, putting the total number of recoveries at 8,15,516.
As of Thursday, the number of active COVID-19 cases in Tamil Nadu is 5195. Till date, 5,03,513 males, 3,29,464 females and 34 transgenders have tested positive for the virus in the state.
According to a bulletin released by the Health and Family Welfare Department of Tamil Nadu, 1,54,52,541 samples from the state have been sent for testing till date, with 61,023 samples having been sent yesterday. There are 252 COVID-19 testing facilities in the state, out of which 68 are government and 184 are private facilities.
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Welcome to the live blog from Chennai and Hyderabad where we bring to you the latest updates on Tamil Nadu elections 2021, COVID-19 vaccination, COVID-19 in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, UK COVID-19 virus in Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh and more across Chennai and Hyderabad throughout the day. Follow the blog to stay up to date with the states in real time.